1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic image data transfer system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an automatic image data transfer system having a network comprising identification information registration terminals for registering identification information of sheets on which images are or were recorded and an image data reading apparatus for reading image data from the sheets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Radiation image recording/reproducing systems using stimulable phosphor have been known (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 55(1980)-12429, 56(1981)-11395, and 56(1981)-11397, for example). Stimulable phosphor stores a portion of energy of radiation (such as X-rays, α rays, β rays, γ rays, electron rays, and ultraviolet rays) irradiated thereon and emits a phosphorescent light in accordance with the stored radiation energy upon exposure to an excitation light such as a visible light. In a radiation image recording/reproducing system, radiation image information of a subject such as a human body is recorded in a stimulable phosphor sheet having a stimulable phosphor layer, and the excitation light such as a laser beam is irradiated on the sheet to have the sheet to emit the phosphorescent light. The phosphorescent light is photoelectrically read to obtain an image signal, and a radiation image of the subject based on the image signal is output as a visible image on a recording medium such as a photosensitive material or on a display device such as a CRT display unit.
In such a radiation image recording/reproducing system, a photographing apparatus for recording a radiation image on a stimulable phosphor sheet and an image data reading apparatus for reading image data from the sheet having the radiation image recorded therein may be installed in separate housings.
In a large-scale or medium-scale hospital, it is often the case that a plurality of photographing rooms is used and each of the rooms has a radiation image photographing apparatus. However, the number of reading apparatuses for reading image data from sheets having radiation images of patients is generally less than the number of the photographing apparatuses, since the reading apparatuses are expensive. Therefore, a sheet after photographing is brought from one of the photographing rooms (photographing apparatuses) to the closest reading apparatus for image data reading. A visible image represented by the image data that have been read is displayed on a monitor installed together with the reading apparatus or on a monitor for centralized management. In this manner, a state of the image is confirmed. In other words, images photographed by the plurality of photographing apparatuses are confirmed by using only one monitor.
However, confirmation of the images photographed by the photographing apparatuses on only one monitor may cause confusion regarding which image has been photographed in which room, since the images photographed in the rooms (apparatuses) are collectively managed on the monitor. Furthermore, in the case where a plurality of radiological technicians is respectively in charge of the photographing rooms, the radiological technicians may confuse the images of that he or she is responsible for.